Wednesday, September 12, 2012

NY Fashion Week Concept Korea Runway Show

On the first day of Fashion Week, we were lucky enough to be invited to attend the runway show at Lincoln Center for Concept Korea, a collective of five different Korean designers. We wanted to give you a glimpse into the experience of being at a Fashion Week event.

After check in, we then joined the crowd lining up to get into the show. We probably stood on line for about twenty minutes (that's a lot, for our feet), and made us wonder if the wait is even longer for the household names of fashion.

When we entered the space, we quickly jockeyed for position behind the phalanx of photographers who had already staked out the prime real estate directly in front of the stage.

Once the lights went down and the show began, many of the photographers who had been sitting on the floor in front of us stood up, blocking most of the view of the stage. It was eerie to see the live image and the electronic images simultaneously displayed on the camera screens. Ever resourceful, we quickly found new positions from which to view the show.

Each of the Martha Graham dancers wore a tee-shirt embellished by one of the five designers.

The fashion show itself started with a video projected onto a large overhead screen.

Once the show began, models emerged from the rear of the main stage and then walked to the two-tiered stage of their particular designer. Here is a shot of the line-up of CRES. E DIM. models. Our more musically inclined readers may recognize the musical reference: Cres. E Dim. = crescendo e diminuendo.

At the end of the show, the designer himself, Hong Bum Kim, stopped to have his photograph taken with us. Later, we were interviewed by several reporters and video crews about what we thought of the show and the designers. We were happy to say we were favorably impressed by the designs, the colors, textures and fabrics.

Here are the models wearing the designs of Son Jung Wan.

This peplum top and draped pants are one of our favorite outfits in this collection which had the most subdued colors and most feminine silhouettes in the show.

We got to say a brief hello to Son Jung Wan herself. She appears on the left, next to Dr. Young Yang Chung, one of Korea's foremost embroidery artists.

In direct contrast, CHOIBOKO's collection was very colorful and multi-patterned. (Valerie wants those tights!)

We loved designer Choi Bo Ko's traditional head gear. Here he is being interviewed by the Korean National Broadcast System.

Here's a better shot of his hat and jacket.

Perhaps the edgiest of the five, Kathleen Hanhee Kye's KYE collection had some very interesting pieces, from head to toe, so to speak, starting with the peaked knit cap. One of which had bright red tassels covering the brow, and at least two others were covered with little veils in a tongue in cheek touch. The model on the far left had leather leg suspenders to match her tan boots. The two models directly to her left have matching pleated leg garters, one below the knee and the other above.

Leather and knit harnesses on the models in the middle and right and the patterned leggings and tights and platform shoes were interesting details, especially when paired with modest mini-Peter Pan collared blouses. (Jean wants those tights.)

Lie Sang Bong's color-blocked designs looked like the young working woman's dream. Here's what we read in his biography: "Known around the world as the “Korean McQueen,” Lie Sang Bong has been featured in numerous publications including Le Figaro, Telegraph, the New York Times, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Oyster, Standard, and W Magazine. Lie has dressed world-renowned celebrities including Beyoncé, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Peaches, Lindsay Lohan, and Juliette Binoche", as well as the first lady of Korea.

Loved this pair of shoes, which were right at eye level during the show.

In 2004, Dr. Young Yang Chung founded the Chung Young Yang Embroidery Museum at Sookmyung Women's University in Seoul, Korea and has written several books on the topic. She looks great whenever we run into her.

Very exciting to be invited to this show of extraordinary designs! So fun to see the Martha Graham dancers at the beginning of the show. I also like the thought of having bright red tassels covering my brow.

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GROWING OLD WITH VERVE
‘Growing old gracefully’ is an outdated concept. We prefer ‘growing old with verve’. This blog documents our efforts to live up to that motto, in photos and essays. We embrace our gray hair, while sharing the playground nicely with our younger siblings. Bette Davis was right when she said 'growing old is not for sissies', but it’s also not one of Dante’s circles of hell. Idiosyncratic Fashionistas explores what’s out there for Women of a Certain Age, comments on what’s not out there, and demonstrates that our overlooked demographic is still fabulous.
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